


Only One of Us Knows CPR

by forxmh



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, lets just see where this goes, lifeguard!mingyu, more characters to be added probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-11-29 08:42:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11437266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forxmh/pseuds/forxmh
Summary: Mingyu isn't here to have fun, he's here to make money and meet cute boys.Minghao isn't here to meet cute boys, he's here to have fun. Without cute boys.Stressed lifeguard Mingyu and reserved skater boy Minghao, two boys with completely different intentions, meet. Their story ensues.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! ok I wanna write this as a summery gyuhao chaptered fic, but it took me a whole ass month to plan it and write the first chapter, therefore this is kinda late. this chapter is definitely really short because of this reason too; the next (and rest hopefully) will definitely be longer. but whateva, here's the beginning, let's go!! hope u enjoy!

It was way too hot for early June.  
  
Mingyu could feel the sun scorching through what he _thought_ was a pretty decent layer of sunscreen that he had previously lathered all over his body. He willed himself to ignore the burn as he shifted slightly in his elevated seat, eyes trained on a certain child's underwater figure. The little boy had dove under quite a while ago, and Mingyu couldn't help sliding forward the tiniest bit, his stomach twisting in concern.  
  
After thirty seconds of extreme anxiety, as Mingyu brought his whistle up to his mouth and prepared to blow, the boy quickly popped back up to the surface. He laughed loudly and gasped for air at the same time, which mixed into a very awkward sound Mingyu was all too familiar with now. The child swam over to a random group of others, and Mingyu tried to shift back into a more comfortable position. His body was still stiff with stress, and it'd most likely stay that way for the rest of the time he had to watch the pool. Sometimes Mingyu thinks he's a bit too anxiety ridden to be a lifeguard.  
  
But it's not like he had a choice. He had really needed a summer job, and lifeguarding at his itty bitty neighborhood pool had seemed simple enough to him. In the moment of finally finding employment, his own personality type (and allergies to bees) had slipped his mind, leading him to become a guard.  
  
It was only his fourth or fifth shift at this moment, summer was just starting, but Mingyu was already ready for it to end. He wanted to be at home, sleeping, playing video games, watching TV, or doing basically anything other than stressing on stand or boring himself to death at the front desk. There were only two slight pluses to the job, other than the fact that it's a job itself: he can tan, and he works with Seokmin.  
  
Seokmin has been Mingyu's closest friend for as long as both can remember. Seokmin lives three doors down from Mingyu, and they haven't left each others' sides since the first day they ran into one another at the very pool they're both now employed by.  
  
Though, at work they don't have too much time to talk, as there's only two guards on duty at a time, and one is always in charge of scanning the pool. However, the blinding smiles and pointless jokes Seokmin always shoots Mingyu as they switch positions fill him with enough resilience to get through each shift. And luckily, Mingyu could see Seokmin currently walking towards him out of the corner of his eye, the famed smile already growing.  
  
"Ya ready, Gyu?" Seokmin waltzed up and leaned against the stand, eyes already surveying the water. Mingyu hummed in response, hopping off the chair and extending his hands up to the sky in attempt to stretch out any leftover stress. The strain tightened and defined the muscles on his bare chest.  
  
"Ew, stop showing off. Those girls are looking at you, you know." Seokmin pretended to sound annoyed, a small giggle bubbling out of his chest when Mingyu sighed dramatically. Mingyu knew there were girls looking at him, but one, they were probably around thirteen years old, and two, he doesn't exactly want girls of any age checking him out. Seokmin of course knows this too, he just lives solely to tease Mingyu about the female gender.  
  
Almost every young girl that has visited the pool has had a daylong crush on Mingyu. Unfortunately for him, not as many males tend to keep their eyes lingering as long as the females. It was even worse as no boys his age ever showed up in the first place. The situation made the boy pretty miserable.  
  
"Shut up." Mingyu dropped his arms back to his sides, and briskly walked towards the check-in table to avoid any more teasing from his friend. He fell back into an uncomfortably hot seat with another deep sigh. The clock read only 1 o'clock; Mingyu wasn't off until five. He wondered if he could make it that long without either having an anxiety attack or falling asleep. He slammed his elbow down on the table, and cupped his cheek in his hand. He stared down the single street that led to the entrance of the pool while his brain slowly started tuning out the rest of the world.  
  
And he stayed sitting like that for about twenty minutes. He stared into the empty street with an empty mind, seemingly unaffected by all possible distractions. His thoughts and face stayed peacefully blank; the splashes, screams, and radio music now only white noise. Mingyu was completely and utterly zoned out.  
  
Until, suddenly, someone came tearing down the barren street.  
  
The unknown figure was traveling at a speed probably a tad too fast for the small skateboard they were utilizing. They flew into the parking lot, the end of a towel thrown over their shoulder billowing behind them. Mingyu sat up straight, eyes following the figure as they looped around cars and slowed towards the entrance.  
  
Because the pool was small-scale, Mingyu had previously thought he'd gotten a pretty good idea of all the members over the past two or three weeks. The same few families were all Mingyu had seen every time he showed up. But, he's definitely never seen this guy before. He's never seen anyone skate to the pool either, that's way too edgy. So, they're likely new, or decided to come for the first time today.  
  
Mingyu's eyes stayed glued to the now observably male figure as he stomped on one side of his board, causing it to fly up into his hands. His sunglasses hid most of the upper half of his face, but Mingyu could tell the boy was probably around his and Seokmin's age by his clothes and _cool guy_ aura.  
  
The lifeguard couldn't help the slight pickup of of his heart's bpm. A cute boy has finally come to visit him in hell.  
  
(Mingyu didn't even know what the boy really looked like- he was just an optimistic guy).  
  
Mingyu turned and pretended to scan the pool deck to avoid the the skater as he approached the check in desk. His leg started to bounce lightly with eagerness.  
  
"Hello," the boy greeted in a voice several pitches higher than what Mingyu had expected.  
  
"Oh!" Mingyu swiveled around, his voice lifting in an amible and almost shy way. "Hi, how are you?" He spat out the same question he asked to every pool patron.  
  
"Good, how are you?" The boy replied with his own scripted words, but started talking again before Mingyu even opened his mouth to respond.  
"I actually, um, haven't been here before. I'm a member, though." He spoke way too fast; Mingyu barley caught what he said. When his mind has registered exactly what the quick words meant, he immediately internally congratulated himself for knowing this guy was new.  
  
"That's okay! Just sign in right here!" Mingyu dragged the sign in book from the end of the table towards himself and left it in front of the other.  
  
"Okay, thanks." The boy held his skateboard with one hand and scribbled his name down carelessly with the other. His voice was heavily accented and unique, and Mingyu decided to deem it 'cute' in his mind.  
  
"We close at ten. Have fun." Mingyu ran his hand through his hair and flashed his best smile up at the visiter who immediately looked up as well.  
  
"Yeah, thank you. You too." The boy visibly cringed at his unnecessary final words and smiled back at the guard gently.  
  
"I'll try." Mingyu chuckled lightly. The other gave him a slight bow and turned, walking away towards a row of lawn chairs. Mingyu watched him go, a small bubble of bliss forming in his chest from the interaction with the boy, whose name ending up being-  
  
...Xu Minghoo? No. Xu Minghao?  
  
The name scrawled down on the sign-in sheet was messy to the extent that Mingyu couldn't be confident that he read it right. But, it's okay. He knew he would learn the boy's name sooner or later.

 

—

  
  
Minghao rolled his skateboard underneath his chair and draped his towel across the back. He took his shirt and sunglasses off hastily, plugged in his headphones, and lied down. Content, he let out a shallow breath he didn't know he'd been holding onto.  
  
He hadn't expected to be met with quite possibly one of the most attractive people he's ever seen the very first time he showed up to the damn pool.  
  
He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts, opened his phone, and promptly pulled up the first book he had downloaded earlier. No pretty boys were going to get the best of him this summer. (Well, that's what he told himself then).

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dunno when the second chapter will be up, but hopefully soon as I'm trying to finish this before summer ends. we can all hope.  
> ps. can you guess what my summer job is this year?  
> pps. playlist for this is literally just the top 40 radio. It's annoying to listen to but it's all I hear at work so  
> ppps. talk to me on twitter @fluffhao (;


	2. Chapter 2

One humid week later, Mingyu's lifeless eyes were once again trained on the clock. He watched the big hand tick from 3:06 to 3:07. It definitely took two minutes for that to occur, Mingyu decided. The clock was in slow motion.  
  
At least it wasn't excruciatingly hot anymore. Many days of wet heat have finally reached their climax; the sky was filled with gigantic, black, menacing storm clouds. The sun most certainly wasn't giving the guard any issues today. And because of this lovely weather, there were only five or so people at the pool, two being Seokmin and Mingyu themselves. This made everything quite easy and tranquil; he wasn't very nervous about anything other than the storms, but the lack of action made being there almost _unbearable_ .  
  
Mingyu glanced over to Seokmin, who looked as if he was about to fall asleep on the stand. A small smile pulled on Mingyu's lips as Seokmin's half-lidded eyes moved with the motion of the single swimmer in the pool. The scene was a bit _too_ peaceful. The area was dead silent with no radio, chattering, or even wind rustling the trees. It was definitely the "calm before the storm", and Mingyu was ready for it to shatter into bits already.  
  
He didn't expect his wish to be granted so soon, though. Nor did he expect the calm to be broken by something other than the real rainstorm itself. But, as soon as he refocused his attention back on the clock, the silence slipped away as the harsh noise of small wheels against pavement reached his earshot.  
  
Xu Mingwhatever has yet to come back to the pool since the very first time he decided to visit. It was almost as if someone put a jewel on a fishing rod, dangled it in front of Mingyu, and before he could even reach out to grab it, reeled it back in. Pessimistically, about halfway through the week, Mingyu gave up on wishing he'd come. False hope was an evil trick Mingyu was convinced he was playing on himself. However, the figure currently swooping into the parking lot proved there was no trick, and the hope was never false.  
  
The lanky visiter jumped off his skateboard, bent to pick it up, and approached the desk Mingyu sat at. With his full face on display, he was not nearly as intimidating as he was the first time he came. He had soft and endearing features that Mingyu pretended to gaze over carelessly, (as if he wasn't trying to engrave the other's face into his mind), before greeting him.  
  
"Hello. Trying to get a quick swim in before the storm hits?" Mingyu asked kindly.  
  
"Uh yeah, I guess." The boy laughed breathily with his reply as he signed himself in. Mingyu started to study his face again, so when the visitor looked up, the two immediately made eye contact. Both instantly looked away, Mingyu with a tiny smirk and the other with a small blush rising into his cheeks.  
  
"Well, have fun." Mingyu said confidently. The guest nodded in response, then shot away. Mingyu laughed a little to himself; the boy did not hide the fact he was flustered very well. The worker craned his neck a bit to the left and tried to read the recent signature upside down.  
  
It was definitely Xu MingHAO. Mingyu looked over to the pool, another smirk forming on his face with satisfaction. He had to remember to look up his name on social media. His smug look quickly twisted to an expression of confusion when he became aware of Seokmin's glare from across the deck. With his eyebrows pulled together and a harsh gesture at the clock, Seokmin tried to communicate to Mingyu it was his turn to go up on the stand.  
  
As Mingyu walked around the edges of the pool to reach the chair, Minghao entered the water. 

  
  
 - 

  
  
Minghao didn't exactly plan to come to the pool again on the crappiest day of the summer yet, he just needed to get out of the house. He didn't really know where else to go, and maybe the storm will just blow right over, and he could stay longer...  
  
The water, chilled by the lack of sunlight and an endless stream filling the pool with chlorinated water (to outweigh the incoming rain water), immediately stopped Minghao when it rose over his hips. The boy wrapped his arms around his naked torso and wiggled his toes underneath the water.  
  
He could feel the lifeguard staring him down from their seat. Of course watching him was the guard's literal job, but Minghao subconsciously curled into himself further. He knew he should actually swim around a bit since he showed up, but goosebumps prickled his skin and vetoed the action. Instead, he cupped his hands to scoop up some water, and then poured it back into the pool.  
  
He heard the lifeguard sigh, and couldn't help but feel a little bad for the other. Minghao could never work a job like that. The tiniest lack of mental or physical stimulation always ended up driving him insane. He lucked out with his new job, it was the best thing to happen to him in this place yet-  
  
"Hey!" A voice jerked Minghao out of his thoughts and his head snapped towards the deep end of the pool.  
  
The guard twirled his whistle around his pointer finger as he eyed Minghao. "Do you plan on swimming, or are you just gonna stand in place and freeze? I can see you shaking."  
  
Minghao slowly moved his arms across his chest again as his jaw fell without words. He wasn't sure if the guard was teasing him, or genuinely asking if he was going to swim. He didn't really have a 'plan', but now he has to swim (because he buckles easily when confronted.)  
  
"I, uh- yeah?" Minghao bent his knees to sink farther into the water. He started to shiver a bit violently once it reached above his belly button.  
  
"Wait!" The lifeguard yelled again. "You don't have to if you don't want to, you know! I was just joking!"  
  
Minghao shook his head without looking up. "No, I can do it."  
  
"You don't have to!"  
  
"I want to!" Minghao brought himself deeper under the water, now determined to submerge himself and swim underwater. His teeth started to chatter.  
  
"Wait, please don't! I don't want you to get hypothermia or something!" The guard's heightening voice proved he was growing concerned.  
  
"It's okay!" Minghao rigidly walked deeper until the water reached just below his shoulders.  
  
"Don't go under, oh my god! You're turning blue GET OUT!"  
  
Minghao cracked a small (but pained) smile as his shoulders went under. He looked up to the entertained (yet still concerned) lifeguard and yelled to him.  
  
"It's now or never!"  
  
As he filled his lungs with air and prepared to plunge under, the dark sky lit up for a split second. Then, a deafening clap of thunder. Then rain.  
  
"GET OUT!" The lifeguard screamed to Minghao. He didn't have to be told twice.  
  
The only other two patrons left at the pool ran to their car. The guards flew around the deck, bringing items into the small shack that held their things. Minghao ran to his chair, wrapped his towel around his shoulders, and pressed his phone to his chest. It was then he realized his way home wasn't under his chair like he'd left it.  
  
"Where the fuck is my skateboard?" The boy frantically glanced around his chair, bending down to check under other chairs as rain pelted his back.  
  
A voice barely audible over the storm called out to him.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?"  
  
Minghao glanced over to the lifeguard, whose head was poking out of their small shelter.  
  
"I'm trying to find my skateboard!" Minghao answered.  
  
"What- Don't you DARE try and skateboard home. You'll die!" Lightning flashed across the sky as the other talked, and the ground shook with immediately following thunder. The guard raised his eyebrows and shook his head slightly, using the severity as proof of Minghao's oncoming death.  
  
"I won't die-"  
  
The guard shook his head harder. "Just-! Just come in here! Wait it out with us! I don't want you to get hit by lightning!"  
  
Minghao looked back to the ground and scanned the area where we stood, weighing his options. He really couldn't find his skateboard, and the rain was both painful and freezing cold. Even if he found his board, the ride home would be hellish. But if he doesn't go now, he'll have to sit in that tiny shed with Mr. Cute Lifeguard and his friend until the storm ended. And it was supposed to be a long one.  
  
Minghao froze as he noticed his escape under a lawn chair a few feet away. His mind raced as more thunder boomed above his head.  
  
He was preparing himself to dart towards his board when the guard called out to him one last time: "Just fucking come here!"  
  
And Minghao gave up.  
  
He turned and ran to the opening door. As soon as he was inside, the entrance was slammed shut, muffling the sound of the storm.  
  
The room was dim, lit by a single light hanging from the low ceiling. Small cubbies lined one wall, emergency materials occupied another, and shelves of cleaning supplies the third. Only the space next to the door was left blank. The other lifeguard Minghao has never spoken with sat on the concrete floor, looking straight up at him.  
  
"That was dramatic," He stated.  
  
Minghao made a small noise in the back of this throat. "Sorry."  
  
"No, you don't have to apologize, it was funny." The boy smiled and raised himself up to hold his hand out to Minghao. "I'm Seokmin."  
  
"I'm Minghao. Thanks for letting me in here." Minghao shook Seokmin's hand.  
  
"Oh, and I'm Mingyu," the other boy in the room piped up.  
  
"Hi." Minghao bowed his head slightly with politeness.  
  
The light flickered as Mingyu plopped down next to Seokmin with an iPhone in his hand. Minghao hovered by the door, still pushing his own phone against his cold chest.  
  
"Come sit!" Mingyu leaned forward and patted the space in front of him.  
  
This time there wasn't even a choice. Minghao brought himself in front of the boy and shrunk to the ground, forming a small triangle of the three of them. His wet towel clung to his body and water slowly dripped off it onto the floor.  
  
Mingyu was undoubtedly extremely attractive. And so was Seokmin, actually. And they seemed nice enough. And, (Minghao seemed to have forgotten until this moment,) Mingyu and him just had that mini conversation when he was in the pool. Uh oh.

  
Well, Minghao liked to think he knew himself pretty well, and he knew he had a weak-ass heart (figuratively). But he also knew he was pretty okay at hiding it. He would just have to go with Plan B: hope this simple attraction wouldn't grow, or wouldn't be reciprocated. He had to try to withhold his romance-less summer, for the sake of his upcoming year.  
  
"So, Minghao," Mingyu locked his phone and latched his eyes onto Minghao's. "How old are you?"  
  
"I'm 18," Minghao answered automatically.  
  
"Oh, same! Do you live in this neighborhood or...?" Mingyu pressed.  
  
"Ah yeah, I moved in with my aunt and uncle, since I'm going to the university downtown. It's nicer to live there instead of a dorm until I make enough money to buy or share an apartment or something," Minghao spewed out his explanation.  
  
"Hey, we're going to that university too!" Mingyu jabbed his thumb towards himself and then towards Seokmin, his jaw dropping into a disbelieving smile.  
  
Seokmin nodded, a small grin on his face too. "Yo, that's awesome! We haven't met one person going there that we haven't known since elementary school until now."  
  
Minghao forced a smile onto his face too. "That's cool, I wonder if we'll have any of the same classes?"  
  
His voice cracked on 'classes'. This was not good news. He could probably get through summer without falling too hard, but if he can't even escape during the year...  
  
"What's your major?" Seokmin questioned.  
  
"Um, dance," Minghao attempted to wrap his soaking towel closer around his body. He hadn't noticed he had started shivering again.  
  
"Aw, my little sister dances! That's a fun major." Mingyu slowly rose and turned to open what was assumably his bag, and pulled out a large sweatshirt that was immediately thrown into Minghao's face.  
  
"I still don't want you to freeze to death. Wear that."  
  
The pullover rested on top of Minghao's head. Underneath, the boy's cheeks were burning.  
  
The garment smelled partly of cologne, partly of vanilla, and partly of chlorine. It tickled Minghao's nose.  
  
He dipped his head and let the sweatshirt slide into his lap. Instead of putting it on, he draped it on his chest like a blanket. He won't stoop to the flirt level of wearing it yet. "Thank you," he said quietly.  
  
Mingyu just sat back down and shrugged.  
  
The storm didn't cease as the guards slowly grew more interested in Minghao.

  
"Where did you live before?" Seokmin asked.  
  
"Not that far, a few towns away."  
  
"Do you like it here?" He continued.  
  
"I mean, yeah."  
  
"Why don't you come down here that often?" Mingyu followed.  
  
"I don't know, I guess I just don't think about it that much."  
  
"You should. It's nice when it's not storming."  
  
"I know."  
  
Minghao drummed his fingers on his phone screen.  
  
"Do you have a job?" Mingyu kept going.  
  
"Yeah, I do. It's only in the evenings, though." Minghao watched the ground between the tips of his and Mingyu's toes.  
  
"Good pay?"  
  
"Yeah, decent. It's pretty fun, so.."  
  
"Ah, nice."  
  
They listened to the rain hitting the roof for a minute. Minghao knew he should at least check his phone, but for some reason, his hands didn't want to move.  
  
"I really need to go to the mall."  
  
Seokmin was staring at his cellphone, visibly chewing on the inside of his cheek. "Why does everyone have more expensive clothes than me?"  
  
"Because you never go shopping with me." Mingyu replied. "Or even take my advice when I give it to you. That's why."  
  
"Whatever," Seokmin sighed. He looked up to Minghao again. "Your style is pretty simple. Not like, as in simple clothes, but as in I can tell what type of person you are simple. Even when you're coming to the pool. I like it."  
  
Minghao took one of his hands from his lap to point to himself in question. When Seokmin nodded, he felt a small smile form on his face.  
  
"Thanks. I blow almost all of my money on my clothes."  
  
"Oh God, me too," Mingyu huffed. "The only paycheck I've gotten yet was immediately spent on a sweater I won't even wear for another four months."  
  
Minghao let out a small laugh, forcing himself to look up and train his eyes right above Mingyu's head.  
  
"I just bought a sweater, like, three days ago. They're all on sale now."  
  
"Exactly!" Mingyu sat up straighter, creating eye contact between the two of them. "They're even more expensive during the winter, so I'm just gonna buy them now! Where did you get yours?"  
  
And the conversation started there. Minghao and Mingyu chatted through the storm.  
  
They started on clothes, and somehow reached very illegal high school memories. What was between that, not even Seokmin, the third party present the whole time, could remember.  
  
Their words thinned at some points, and their voices rose every once and awhile with excitement. They laughed together, gasped at each other's stories, and at some point Minghao had even leaned over slightly to hit Mingyu lightly on the arm when he accidentally overshared a bit.  
  
Minghao didn't realize he was already betraying himself until he was sitting on his towel at the edge of the pool, his feet in the cold water, listening to Mingyu complain about his sophomore year math class.  
  
"I almost failed the class. I'm still surprised to this day I didn't."  
  
Minghao only hummed in response. He looked over to the other boy, who was smiling lightly and watching a small leaf float over their feet.  
  
Minghao could feel his chest tighten slightly.  
  
All his trust was in Plan B now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this took longer than expected.. haha I'm sorryyy. I really underestimated how much of a busy and unmotivated person I am. but at least I managed to get this up before summer ended!! I'm for sure not going to promise anything about the next one, but there will be a third chpt written at some point (probably). I don't even know,, school starts in three days. Hope you enjoyed!  
> p.s. I'm going to diamond edge in NYC tomorrow night and meeting seventeen(; lmk if ur going!


End file.
